'Still a long way to go,' says CM Kejriwal after Delhi not among 10 polluted cities

Among 10 most polluted cities in Asia, eight are from India and Delhi is not on the list. Citing a report, Delhi CM claimed that some years back, Delhi was considered to be one of the “most polluted cities in the world" but not anymore.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that among 10 most polluted cities in Asia, eight are from India and Delhi is not on the list. He cited a survey to say that Delhi was no longer regarded as one of the "most polluted cities in the world" as it formerly was.

The chief minister posted the media report on Twitter and wrote, “Among 10 most polluted cities in Asia, eight are from India and Delhi not in the list. Some years back, Delhi was the most polluted city in the world. Not any more!" 

But he said that there is still more work to be done. "People in Delhi put forth a lot of effort. We are much better today. Despite our progress, there is still more to be done. We'll keep pushing ourselves to get a spot in the top cities in the world," Kejriwal remarked. He said, "We are dedicated to making Delhi the finest city in the world."

According to statistics from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi had the lowest air quality index (AQI) for the day before Diwali in seven years on Sunday at 265.

Nineteen of the 35 monitoring stations in the city recorded air quality in the “very poor" category, while one (Anand Vihar) reported “severe" pollution levels. Poor air quality was observed in the nearby cities of Ghaziabad (300), Noida (299), Greater Noida (282), Gurugram (249), and Faridabad (248).